Page 11 - Jie Rui Tang Kangxi porcelain mar 2018

REFLECTIONS

FROM A KANGXI PERIOD ENTHUSIAST

䠮鎊

While appreciating a large variety of fine and applied arts, like most ⭽盘䧮㼩鏪㢵谁遯Ꟍ겳鿪剤䨾㋐䠦⡎莅穪㣐
collectors I find a special affinity with a particular few. And so it is 㢵 侸 佐 询 㹻 ♧ 垺Ⱖ ⚥ ⫦ 剤 ♧ 겳 剓 捀 ⢪ 䧮 ⹛
with Kangxi-era porcelains. Of course there are wonderful examples 㺂Ղ 䐁擳櫙㐼⚥㕜櫙㐼娜劊涼剤棇ㅷ罜䧮
of Chinese ceramics from many eras, but somehow the aesthetics, 㼩䐁擳櫙㐼涸繡㷸椚䙂礶䊫ⶾ䙼莅娜〷胝兞
creativity and historical context of the Kangxi period speak to me more ⴽ剤䠮䥰姻僽鸏珏䠮䥰⠶ꦑ衽䧮饥麕✫鹬♲
strongly, and that affinity has continued to grow through over thirty- ⼧❀鯺涸佐询⛓騟⚛⢪䧮㼩䐁擳櫙㐼涸㋐䠦
five years of collecting. 莅傈⥡㟞
My initial attraction to Kangxi porcelain came simply from the beauty of 剓ⴲ㋐䠦䐁擳櫙㐼⛓儘秫「Ⱖ繡䠮䨾⹛㋐Ⱖ
the objects. I really loved the palette of the many shades of sapphire blue ꫭ蔅櫙话䕙㢵㪨㥶话㼂槕뜩ぐ䒭䕙櫙蒀愯
on the blue and white porcelain, as well as the translucent and vibrant 槇情慮蒈늫僈䧮❠㋐䠦䐁擳櫙㐼♳瘘岁襟
colors of the enameled porcelain. I also loved the strong and free style of ⸺㤕佞荈㥶涸ぐ겳秙귇姽겳괐呔㽍渿倴䐁
painting, which reached its height in the Kangxi period. 擳䎃꟦
And then, a whole new world opened up for me. I began to learn about ꦑ衽䧮涸莇馱傈渤慮⾩䧮鷷恸涮植䐁擳櫙捀
the stories painted on many of the pieces. Stories that are an integral 䧮䩧Ꟛ✫♧⦐倞涸⚆歲ꤑ✫䠮㸽♳涸繡
part of the long and continuous culture of China - about historical 鸏❉棇ㅷ胝䖕ⴽ剤Ⱙ佦巒覈娜〷➃暟牟鑨⫄
figures, myths, religious gods and goddesses, and Confucian lessons 铞㸻來➲➃⭳㹻麥䗞彂黇崩Ꟁ涼⚥㕜俒
of worthy behavior. I also learned about the auspicious meanings ⻋⛓⚥䗱銴걆罜秙귇ⵠⷔぐ珏榰桊蔅⼰㺲䠑
conveyed in the animals, plants, and flowers depicted; wishes for し牬䧴牝격猰莊넞⚥麌奚剤麥罜牝顭Ꟁ㡽
success on imperial exams, to use power wisely once in office, and 搂毐涰䎃㥪ざ魨넓㸞䐁㢵㶩㢵㷟罏殹搭
of course, for longevity, marital bliss, good health and a large family ❠♶〳㼱姽㢫䧮⿶㼩銯倰⚥㕜ꤲ櫙佐询〷
with many sons. I also learned about the great history of collecting 剤✫刿㢵✫鍑Ⱖ⚥㽍⟃⼧⛰⚆私儻劍✳⼧⚆
Chinese porcelain in the West, with the emphasis on Kangxi porcelain, 私ⴲ劍捀灇瑖ꅾ럊姽Ꟍ겳殹⚥鯱濼そ涸繡㕜
particularly in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some of the more 询㹻⺫䭍James GarlandJ P MorganHenry
prominent American collectors were James Garland, J. P. Morgan, FrickJoseph WidenerCharles Taft⿻John D
Henry Frick, Joseph Widener, Charles Taft and John D. Rockefeller Jr. Rockefeller Jr 缺ꠗぐ➃佐询㕬ꏗ界腋鳺钢㢵
It is great fun and very satisfying to turn the pages of the old books on ⟝礶ㅷ姽⚥馱㄂⿻䧭⸆䠮⟂➃妇搭罜㋐
their collections and recognize so many pieces.

KANGXI: THE JIE RUI TANG COLLECTION 9